Prince William announces he is officially leaving the military

The Palace announced today that after seven years, Prince William is officially leaving the military. While in his post as an RAF pilot William rescued 149 people, and has said of the role that "there is no greater calling in life."

Prince William will focus on his royal duties and charity work over the next year, including his passion for conservation. We may not know his official role until 2014, but he'll be stepping more into the public life with Kate by his side.

The palace statement said: "He will continue to support the work of The Queen and the Royal Family through a programme of official engagements, both at home and overseas, with The Duchess of Cambridge. The Duke will work closely over the next twelve months with the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. He will expand his work in the field of conservation, particularly in respect of endangered species. The Duke will continue to work with his charities on issues relating to children and young people, veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces."

According to BBC's Peter Hunt, the Palace also wanted to be clear that Wills is not becoming a full time royal, but is entering a period of transition. The Cambridges are currently in London for a charity ball tonight in support of the Tusk Trust, and will move into their Kensington Palace apartment in the next few weeks as renovations come to a close.

So with William leaving the military and deciding to focus more on his charity work and royal duties, one thing is clear: we'll be seeing a lot more of him and Kate. Starting tonight, she'll glide back into public life at a glamorous dinner, and we can't wait to see what she wears!

Click through the gallery above to see Prince William's style transformation!